Reflections on the Water
by Batbabe1
Summary: Inuyasha likes to gaze at Kagome from afar.......
1. Part 1

Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha, and I'm not making any moolah off this.  
  
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A/N: Yes, this is my first Inuyasha fic. Just a little one shot thing I came up with. I hope you enjoy it. Please R/R!  
  
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Reflections on the Water  
  
By: Batbabe  
  
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He couldn't help but stare at her from across the water.  
  
Kagome sat on the bank of the small lake, gazing at her own reflection, lost in thought. It was times like this that she looked the most like Kikyo to her half-human, half-demon companion.  
  
Sometimes Inuyasha would watch her when she thought she was alone, when she was at her most venerable. He couldn't explain what drew him to her, since he knew that it wasn't simply the resemblance to his dead lover. If he was a romantic, he'd say that he was drawn to her on a spiritual level, to her very soul.  
  
Good thing he wasn't a romantic.  
  
He knew that if Kagome knew about his habit of watching her when she wanted to be alone, she'd sit him so hard he'd be sore for a week. Besides, he didn't want her thinking that he had any type of feelings for her, other than being his jewel detector. He'd never hear the end of it.....  
  
She reached in a hand to test the temperature of the water before she decided to put her bare feet in. A light smile came across her face as she splashed a little with her feet. She seemed so happy and peaceful. It almost made the demon smile with her.  
  
Her light giggle could be heard, even from his position in a tree across the lake, and a part of him wished that she would never stop. But he knew that she would. Soon enough they would be attacked by one demon or another, and she would be a target. He often wondered why she chose to stay with him, to help him, when her life was constantly being put at risk.  
  
But he knew the answer. She trusted him with everything that she was, including her life. It made him wonder what he ever did to deserve that kind of thing from anyone. When they had first begun their journey together, he had made it no secret that he didn't care for the young woman at all, but still she stayed. She was there for him when he needed her the most, never asking for anything in return, other than a kind word here or there.  
  
And yet he couldn't give even that to her. He did everything he could to push her away, make her hate him, but it never worked. Deep down, he knew that she would always be with him and would never betray him. As much as he hated to admit it, even to himself, he didn't know what he would do if he lost her.  
  
Of course, he could always continue on looking for jewel shards with Miroku and Sango, but it would only be a way to shield him from his pain. The same way looking for the shard had been when he had first awoken, still hurt from the apparent betrayal of Kikyo.  
  
He shifted slightly in his perched position on the branch, not wanting to alert her to his presence but desperately needing to move his tense muscles. It was getting late in the day, the sun was ready to set, and he knew that he'd have to leave soon or else he'd die of hunger. But he didn't want to leave while she was still there, gazing on the water.  
  
He wondered what she was thinking of. Was she thinking of her home? Finding more jewel shards, perhaps? He was tempted to think that she might be thinking of him, but he let the thought pass.  
  
At times she seemed so fragile, like she might break in his grasp, and at other times it seemed that she could rival him in pure strength, probably even surpass him. There was a time when he only considered her the reincarnation of the woman he had loved with all of his heart, but that had changed over time. She had proved that she was a completely different person from the woman he had known so many years ago.  
  
Without realizing it, he had began to develop feelings for her, once he had made the distinction between her and Kikyo. Of course, his feelings for her weren't the same as those that he had for the priestess, but the were just as strong. Perhaps even stronger.  
  
His face darkened at that thought. He couldn't allow himself to make the same mistake with her as he had with Kikyo, he couldn't open himself to that much pain again. And he couldn't subject Kagome to the pain that his love brought, he cared for her too much to do that. Besides, she was in enough danger as it was just being his friend. He didn't want to think about how Naraku would use her against him if they became more....  
  
Again, he shook himself at the thought, his mind brought back to the sight before him. She was now looking to her side, at the setting sun. Her eyes seemed to capture the golden light and trap it in their depths, her smile widened. She always did love the sunset, he noted.  
  
For a brief moment, the half-demon considered exiting his tree and joining her on the bank. But the thought only lasted a moment before he dismissed it. He could never let her get as close as he, and it seemed she, might want. Kikyo, or whoever she was now, was still out there, and he had promised himself to the priestess long ago. He couldn't forget that now, not after she had suffered so much because of him.  
  
He sighed slightly. Kagome was nothing like Kikyo, and maybe that was what endeared her to him. Kagome could be loud, obnoxious, and an all- around pest, but she could also be the most caring, giving, and loving person he had ever met. There was so much to her than what could be seen on the surface. He couldn't help the spark of hope that ignited in him that maybe, one day, he could get to know everything there was to her and she to him.  
  
He silently leaped from the tree to the ground, out of sight of the young woman. Slowly, he made his way back to their small campsite where, undoubtably, Sango was trying to hold off the priest's less than subtle advances. Another sigh escaped him as he looked back to the small lake, where a young raven-haired woman sat on the bank. He wondered briefly if she was thinking of him too......  
  
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	2. Part 2

Disclaimer: Don't own Inuyasha, never will. Don't sue!  
  
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A/N: When I posted the last part, I thought that was all there was to the story. But in many of the reviews, readers asked me to continue in some way. And the more I thought about it, the more I thought "why not?" So here's a part two for your reading enjoyment, though I don't think's it's as good as part 1.......  
  
Please Review!!!  
  
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Reflections on the Water  
  
By: Batbabe  
  
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Part 2  
  
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When she looked back up, he was gone.  
  
The young woman sighed slightly, disappointed at his disappearance. Though he thought that she didn't notice him when he watched her, she knew everytime. Kagome seemed to have a sense for when he was around, so it didn't surprise her.  
  
The first time she had caught Inuyasha watching her, she had been confused as to why. He never mentioned his habit, so she figured that he thought he was being sneaky about it. He could be so secretive about some things. So she never spoke of it and simply let him continue. To be honest, it made her feel special in some way.  
  
He must have gotten tired of watching her. This was the first time that he had left before she had and the bothered her a little. She couldn't say why, but his departure made her feel as though he wasn't interested in her anymore. The thought scared her.  
  
Kagome didn't know how or why, but she had fallen in love with the half-human/half-demon.  
  
She had hated him at first. He was so smug, so egotistical. But she eventually saw the true him during the few times that he dropped his guard. He was a lost soul, like she herself was. They were kindred spirits. Though the term was rather strong, Kagome tended to think of them as soulmates.  
  
She had traveled through time to find him, it was fate. Whether that was a result of his relationship with Kikyo, Kagome could not be certain. She hated to think of it like that, though. She wasn't the same person as the priestess, though she was her reincarnation. They weren't the same and never would be.  
  
As these thoughts crossed her mind, she took a small stone from the ground beside her and skipped it across the water. It was so frustrating to think of Inuyasha's relationship with Kikyo. Kagome knew that he would never stop loving her, but she didn't like to think that he would never be able to get over her. The images of him holding her came into the young woman's mind, unbidden.  
  
Her fist clenched around another stone. Jealousy was an emotion that Kagome didn't like to experience, like most people.  
  
He always seemed to just toss her aside whenever the priestess showed up. It wasn't fair, and it wasn't right, but she couldn't do anything about it. Even if she confessed her feelings for Inuyasha, he would just tell her that he loved Kikyo and that he could never love anyone else. Kagome couldn't stand the thoughts of his rejection.  
  
At times, it seemed like all she could do was suffer in silence. She would have to watch him pine for her, hold her, and love her. It was more than the girl could take sometimes.  
  
But she would never leave him. Of that, she was certain. She loved him too much to ever desert him like that. Staying with him, if only as a friend, would have to be enough.  
  
/Well, at least I can always sit him if he gets on my nerves./ she chuckled lightly at the thought. Sometimes it was nice to have some measure of control over the demon.  
  
The raven haired girl dangled her feet in the water a little more, moving her feet in different patterns and shapes. It amazed her how simple life in this time was, not counting the abundance of demons in the area.  
  
Kagome sometimes wondered if she could give up her time to stay here with Inuyasha. If he would have her, that is. She never really came to an answer. On the one hand, she would be giving up everything she had ever known to live in a time that seemed backwards sometimes. But on the other hand, she would be gaining a life with a man that she loved more than her own existence. This whole decision depended on, of course, if he could feel for her what she did for him. And he would probably never make the choice between her and Kikyo.  
  
And if he did, Kagome doubted that she would be happy with his choice.  
  
The sun had set many moments ago and Kagome still sat at the water's edge. She knew she should probably make her way back to camp, but she didn't know if she was in the best mood to be seeing the object of her unrequented love.  
  
Another sigh escaped her lips as she stood and brushed off the bottom of her skirt. She'd have to face him eventually, might as well make it sooner than later.  
  
When it came down to it, her feelings were meaningless compared to his. She'd do whatever it took to make him happy, even if it meant seeing him in the arms of another woman. Love's a funny thing like that. It can bring horrible pain as well as incredible joy, and Kagome would welcome every bit of pain and joy that came with her love for her demon hero.  
  
She'd be everything he'd let her be. She'd be his friend. His companion. His confidant. And, perhaps one day, his lover. Until then she would be there for him, whenever and however he needed her. And that would have to be enough.  
  
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End file.
